The town of Grimsby held its Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph and the Grimsby Museum beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Volunteers from the Royal Canadian Legion gave out poppies to those who did not already have one. However, donations were encouraged to help raise money to support veterans and their families as part of the Royal Canadian Legion’s 2023 Poppy Campaign.
“I think it’s important to wear poppies because it stands as a good representation that we’re remembering the lost soldiers and the ones that are still fighting today,” Amanda May said. “It’s a great way to show support and care, and I feel like it really brings people together. It’s just a good symbol of peace and remembrance.”
The ceremony began with the entrance of veterans walking to a reserved area at the front facing the ceremony area, and the playing of the national anthem. Following that, the ceremony consisted of two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., prayer, a number of speeches and the laying of wreaths.
“Remembrance Day is very important to me because my ancestors came here from the Netherlands,” ceremony attendee Natalie Van Den Wildenberg said. “In [World War II] the Canadians came and liberated Holland, and if it weren’t for the Canadians liberating Holland then we wouldn’t be here living in this free country.
“Freedom is very important and I think we just sometimes think it’s normal but it’s something people fought for and lost their lives for. It’s very important to remember what people did because they made great sacrifices for future generations so that we could live in peace and harmony and have our freedom.”
The annual Grimsby Remembrance Day ceremony will be held again next year at the same time and place.
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